Process of forming metal salts.



W. H. ALLEN. PRGGESS 0F FORMING METAL SALTS.

APPLIUATIDN FILED DEG. 9, X907.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909 mm MW NW w m. m A w w u m m gases mingle with a vapor of acid and be UNITED STATEQ PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. ALLEN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

specification of Letters. Patent.

Patented Jan. 26, race.

Applieatlon-flled'December 9, 1,907. Serial No. 405,633.

furnaces, wherein-oil or gas is used for meltingrthe metals.

he object of my improvement is to mingle the gases which carry the metal, metal I oxide, and metal salts, often in the form of gases, with acid vapors, then reduce the temperature so as to permit the action of the acid 11 on the oxids, salts and finely divided meta so as to form salts of said metals and finally to separate the salts from the gases.

My invention consists in a process and in an apparatus in which the metal bearing come partially saturated with the acid vaors.

P It further consists in ameans for causing a thoroug ases and the acid vapors.

It further consists in a process and in means for separating the resulting metal salts from the ases.

In metal mel ing furnaces of the Schwartz,

process and in 1 mixingof the the opening 4 and have Rockwell and similar ty es, the metals to be melted, consisting usuailly of copper, zinc, tin and lead are laced in the bottom of the furnace and a last of burning gases is blown onto the surface of the metal. The result of this is that the upper surface of the metal becomes intensely heated, while the force of the blast causes a considerable circulation of the metal as soon as it becomes fluid. It also results in the volatilization and oxidation of a considerable percentage of metal. Where co per, tin, and zinc are melted together to orm brass, gun-metal ,and bronze, under certain conditions this E he apparatus shown in the drawings is gases minutely divided state.

adapted to recover the oxids and the gaseous metal by reducing them to sulfates or chloride and then separating them from the burned gases in. a cooling chamber. At the same time the sulfids and sulfates which escape from the furnaces will also be separated from the burned gases.

In the drawings an oil burning Schwartz furnace is shown consisting of a receiver 1 mounted on frames 2, so it may swing to discharge the melted metal. The furnace is charged through a cover 3 and discharged through an opening 4 in the s out 5. The liquid or gaseous fuel is supplie through the pipe 6 and nozzles 7. The waste gases and ot ier products of combustion escape through heretofore beenlost. To recover these, the structure shown eminently adapted. The ghases passing from the aperture 4 enter the orizontal passage 8 which-has mounted therein the perforated plates 9. Just above these baflie plates a curved pi e 10 connects to this passage the up er en of which pipe is adapted to receive su uric acid or hydrochloric acid from the tank 11, the flow of the acid being regulated by the faucet 12.

As the gases which enter the passage 8 from the furnace 1 are of very hightemperature, the baffle lates 9 will become very hot ay (1 the acid w pipe 10 will be immediately evaporate and mingle with the gases. To insure thorough mingl'ng of the acid vapor and t e ases, a chamber 13 is provided having a ivision wall 14 which insures an-eddy and a thorough mingling; From this chamber the mixed gases and vapors pass through the passa e 15 into the cooling chamber. The length of this'passage will be determined by the temperature of the gases and also by the metals which are usually melted in the "particular furnace. The passage should be so constructed as to permit the gases to cool below the point of dissociation, that is, to the point at which the acid radi al will unite with the metal, so that the vapors of the acid will unite with the metal oxids after they have left the form of gases and haverbecome solids in a he acid vapor will also combine with the metals in the finely divided state after they have returned from the'form of gas to that of solid matter. While the apparatusillustrated is adapted for the recovery of metals from the waste from melting furnaces, it is also adaptich falls on them from the perforations in the ottom of the pipes 23 ed, in connection with such furnaces, for the manufacture of sulfates, chloride or other salts from the metals.

Sulfuric acid being the most satisfactory that can be used in this apparatus no other need be considered, although this invention is not limited to sulfuric acid alone. The vaporous sulfuric acid will unite with the OXldS and form sulfates, setting free oxygen which unites with the h drogen of the acid to form water vapor.- fliese sulfates will be in the form of an impalpable powder and will be carried along with the gases into the chamber 16.

Chamber 16 is of such size that the blast of the burned gases through the passage 15 will create but very little movement therein. The result will be that a la er ortion of the metal salts will settle to t e ottom, from which they can'be removed throu h the door 17. A lar e ortion of the chem er is filled with par le tiers of triangular bars as shown in the drawings, which serve to break up the current of gases enteringl through the passa e 15- and escaping throng the passage 18. he gases carrying the salts impingev against the lower fiat sides of these trian lar bars 19 depositing there a ortion o the salts which fall down after su cient quantities have collected. In place of the bars, any other well known fi ling may be .em-

plrx'ed.

pump 20 having adischalggepige 21 forces a stream of water or of ilute sulfuric acid into the main 22 from which are tend the pipes 23, across the upper end of the chamber 16. The li uid escapes through the and rains down on the cross bars 19 being further broken by these cross bars and mtercepting any solid matter carried by the gases entering through the passa e 15. An of the uncombiued acid vapors w ich enter t rough the passe e 15 will also betaken up by this liquid so t at practice nothing but useless gases'escape t rough't e opening 18. The iquid may be drawn from t e bottom of the chamber 16 through the faucet 24 and the metal salts removed through the door 17.

Havin now explained myimprovements, what I c'aim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz 1. The process of forming metal salts, which consists in mixing furnace gases carryi metallic fumes with an acid vapor, then re ucing' the tern erature so that the acid vapor and meta ic fumes will unite, and finally cooling the gases with a spray of water until the solids are separated from the fixed ases.

2. 6 process of forming metal sulfates which consists in mixing smelting furnace gases can'yingmetallic fumes with vaporized sulfuric acid and then reduci the temperature to that at which union 0 the acid radical and the metallic fumeswill take place.

3. The process of forming metal salts consisti in mixin smelting furnace gases carrying metallic umes with acid vapors at a temperature above that of combination and then reducing the temperature below that of dissociation.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Enwaiw N. PAGELBEBL' ELIZABETH M. Baowx. 

